You already know how to set up the game -- just "drop in" the new *.exe
files on top of the older versions -- all changes are 100% backward
compatible. The MOTU.DOC file has also been revised, so replace the older
version with this new one.
Features added since original release of MOTU:
(1) combat between large fleets is tremendously speeded up.
(2) a slightly better line noise filter has been installed.
(3) a new class of player (arms dealer) has been added.
(4) a flashy "credit line" has been added to the color caller's
opening screen -- when someone has won the game.
(5) MOTU now should run under a greater variety of BBS software
(6) new (optional) command line parameters available - solves the
19200 baud modem "problem"
(7) if a player kills another, now he may also get some portion
of the killed player's cash (if any)
(8) the aliens will now swarm around more, but in smaller scouting
groups.
(9) numerous other cosmetic and minor changes - your users will
find some surprises!
(10) the supporting programs (MOTUINIT.EXE, MOTUREDO.EXE, & MOTUEDIT.EXE)
have all been revamped ... of course, if you have the game running
already, you won't need to bother with the new MOTUINIT.EXE.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN RUNNING THE MOTUDEMO Program
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You should love the changes between the dem version and this one!
Carefully review this file and the on-line help file MOTU.DOC.
The demo versions did not allow aliases. If you now choose to allow
aliases, then the game will have to be recycled. Run MOTUINIT and follow
steps above for starting from scratch. If you want to keep an existing
game going, two choices:
(1) open the full version as a separate door (MUST then be in a separate
subdirectory!! - otherwise both games will access same database!)
(2) the full version is backwards compatible with the demo version, but
you'll have to:
(a) NOT run MOTUINIT
(b) make up your own MOTU.DAT file
Contents of MOTU.DAT:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
line 1: MOTUBULL <=== you weren't given a choice about the name
of the scoreboard file in the demo version;
line 2: 2 <=== you may now substitute some other value, this
is amount of idle time before logoff.
line 3: 0 <=== zero ... must be zero! If you enter ANY other
value, you will enable ALIASES -- this means
that the next time any of your users play the
game, they will be treated as new players!!
You would wind up with 2 "players" with the
same name ... one is an alias, one is real. DO
NOT attempt backward compatibility without
setting this line to 0 !!!!
line 4: 30 <=== or some other value -- this is total time user
is allowed in the door. Was preset in demo.
The entries made in the file MOTUSMSG.DAT by the full release are clearer
and cover more events (bribes, etc) than in the demo version. Suggest that
you may want to delete your old MOTUSMSG.DAT file ... and then periodically
copy this file into an area publically viewable. sometimes sensitive info
was printed in this file by the demo version -- everything now should be
safe for public consumption.
BUG Report - in MOTUDEMO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cash transfer didn't work right in the demo package ... this
problem won't happen in the full version.
The opening ASCII screen (OPENG.DAT) ... would pause in mid-screen. A
minor annoyance, now fixed.
The sysop's log (MOTUSMSG.DAT) was too cluttered, contained some sensitive
info users shouldn't read, and left unreported some interesting events. All
taken care of in this version. Since it is now more legible and DOES contain
some interesting info -- I'd suggest to you that your callers may like to see
periodic copies of the last 24/48 hours worth of stuff.
What the Hell is MOTUREDO?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This program is very much like MOTUINIT, it will recycle the game, it will set everybody back to zeroes, etc. It will not require SYSOP input, nor will it reset any SYSOP-set conditions of the game. It will remember everyone's alias (if that had been allowed), but will treat them as new users, once the game is recycled. If some player becomes Master Of The Universe (MOTU) he is given the option each time he quits the game of recycling. If he elects that option, this program does it.
What about the MOTUEDIT Program?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, I've tried to make the whole thing as self-explanatory as possible.
A bit of advice ... if you don't understand what you may be changing ...
DON'T change it!
You can get a recap of all the players in the game, or choose to edit an
individual player. You're then told what you can change.
You can review a sector and change some aspects there ... you can add a
mine, sweep out a mine, leave fighters defending the sector, etc. Be
careful as you do this!! You can leave fighters (attributing them to some
player) in a sector in which it is illegal for the player to leave
fighters. Similarly, you can drop mines (attributing it to some player)
but if the player to whom you give credit for the mine could not possibly
have bought one, you'll be accused of manipulating the game. You can also
REMOVE mines from a sector, probably then nobody will catch you.
You can rename or delete planets ... usually, unless the name chosen by
someone is gross, why bother?
You can move the aliens around ... but you can NOT override bribes ... so
do it if it feels good, otherwise leave `em alone.
You can get a report of where all the space mines have been dropped ...
if it displeases you, then you'll have to enter the sector editor to clear
` em out.
A final function of the EDIT program may be to give you a review of
what's going on ... without you intending to change anything at all ...
that's probably best of all ... the game can very well attend to itself.
What to Do if You're SURE Something is Wrong
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Write, or call my board (703)590-1441 [not PC Pursuitable]. Make a screen-
dump showing the problem. Tell me the circumstances that led to the
problem. (Get your users to help).
If you can identify a problem and define it well enough that I can
reproduce it, then I'll fix the problem and try to make arrangements with
you to get corrected code to you.
Recap of Sector Restrictions:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No fighters may be left (by players) in sectors 1-25, 201-210, 401-410
..Since you're GOD-like in YOUR powers, you can use the editor to drop
fighters anywhere ... but players will sense this divine intervention.
Merchants are stuck in sectors 1-100
Traders are stuck in sectors 1-300
Warlords can go anywhere.
Arms Dealers can go anywhere.
Player's category is re-evaluated after each hold acquisition (purchase,
won through combat, won in the lottery) and every time a player buys a
planet. If you were "horsing around" and used the editor to take away
a Warlord's holds, then when he is next evaluated (and perhaps is then
a lesser status) -- he would not be able to move!! (if he was in restricted
space) Most likely, all surrounding sectors would be forbidden to him!
You'll have a VERY frustrated and angry player. Fair warning (AGAIN)
that you can achieve illogical results from your tampering with the
editor.
A Word about How BRIBES Work
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three groups of aliens (groups 6,7 &8) will accept bribes. The player is
NOT told at the time of making the bribe offer which group is accepting the
bribe. Offers of less than 4950 credits make the aliens mad! Offers are
not accepted by a group unless at least 10% more than the last bribe they've
accepted that day [in strict compliance with the "alien code of honor"].
An example -- the day starts off with all 3 groups unbribed (they carried out
their "contracts" during the maintenance run. Let's say a player offers a
bribe of 5,000 credits ... group 6 will accept the bribe.
now suppose player number 2 offers a bribe of 6,000 credits. Since that is
more than 10% above the current bribe, group 6 will snap up that bribe too!
(leaving player number 1 out in the cold).
now player number 3 offers a bribe of 5000 credits. Group 6 will pass, but
group 7 will take it.
now player number 4 offers a bribe of 5000 credits. Group 6 will pass,
group 7 will pass, but group 8 will take it.
player 5 offers bribe of 5500 credits -- Group 6 passes, group 7 takes new
bribe.
all this activity will show up later when you let the users read the
MOTUSMSG.DAT file.
WARLORDS, because of their huge capacity to raise cash are always bidding
for the services of group 8 only. To permit them to bid for the other
2 groups would effectively take them out of the reach of lesser players.
Bribed groups begin moving from wherever they may have last come to rest.
(If depleted, they are regenerated). They move along the shortest path
toward the sector in which their victim waits. They will attack any player's
fighters they encounter along the way that are defending a sector. Unable
to restrain their blood-thirst, they will also mount at least a small attack
against at least one player in any sector they pass through (if a player is
unlucky enough to lie in their path, regardless of whether that player has
all of his fighters nestled safely inside his mothership). Once they reach
their goal, if the victim still is alive, they throw all forces against
that player.
SYSOPs note -- the alien's forces grow stronger as they move to higher and
higher levels!! Warlords, in order to escape their frenzied activity in
the high reaches of the universe, may want to "rest" after each day's turn
in the lower levels ... but then they can be found (and attacked) by the
little players!
Alien group 9 is a special attack group that ALWAYS goes after the top
player. If that player has been killed by the other groups then this group
may or may not attack anybody. Same increased strength factor as for other
groups in higher sectors.
Alien groups 1 and 2 roam through sectors 25 - 100. Groups 3,4,& 5 usually
go after "bigger fish" in sectors 101 - 500.
Running MOTU Under Different BBS Software:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MOTU was designed and tested running under RBBS 15.x and 16.x. MOTU also
has been tested to work under PCBoard 12.x. Based upon preliminary specs
for PCBoard 14.x -- MOTU should work under that version too -- see later
comment about command line parameters.
MOTU should also work under WILDCAT! -- without the need for any utilities
to create a pcboard.sys file or rbbs messages file, etc. If you have a
MOTU.EXE file with a compilation date of May 14, 1988 or later. See earlier
discussion about creating the MOTU.DEF file.
Additional Command Line Parameters:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The minimal command line in your door batch file is:
MOTU (no parameters)
If you are running RBBS and you are not running the door from node 1, then
you must specify the node number as the FIRST parameter (e.g. MOTU 2)
Other parameters -- which are ALL OPTIONAL -- include:
/P=14 (e.g. MOTU /P=14) if running under PCBoard 14
/E (e.g. MOTU /E) if you allow aliases and if
you want the alias file reset whenever a
player becomes MOTU -- default is to preserve
the alias name file.
/C to force the com port open at some speed other
than the caller's baud rate (for example, the
USRobotics HST modems can always "talk" to the
caller at his speed, while the board always
talks to it at 19200.) If you have a setup like
that, then use this parameter. A plain "/C"
will open the com port at 19200. You may also
specify a speed (e.g. /C=19200). MOST SYSOPS
DO NOT NEED THIS PARAMETER!
Parameters may be specified in any order (except RBBS Sysops must specify
node # first (if not node 1), for example:
MOTU /E /C (forces comm. port to 19200 and resets aliases
after somebody wins the game)
Map of the Universe:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sigh ... everyone thinks they need a map of the universe -- ok, here is a
representation (generally) of what's going on. Remember that the rules
forbid access to certain areas to players of certain levels! So, if you go
"moving" sectors around, the results may seem illogical to the players.
Don't do it!
there are two patterns:
(1) 19 repetitions of pattern 1 (each is 25 sectors);
(2) 1 occurance of pattern 2.
each layer has multiple sectors that are tied into sectors in other
layers, with no general rule applying, other than that "corners" frequently
tie into other corners, centers to other centers.
pattern 1 (illustrated for sectors 1-25), repeated for all 25-sector
layers, except for sectors 76-100:
21 -- 22 -- 23 -- 24 -- 25
: : :
: : :
20 -- 7 -- 8 -- 9 -- 10
: : :
: : :
19 -- 6 -- 1 -- 2 -- 11
: : :
: : :
18 -- 5 -- 4 -- 3 -- 12
: : :
: : :
17 -- 16 -- 15 -- 14 -- 13
(you may notice that numbers are assigned in a spiral fashion, clockwise
out from sector 1 -- although they're not connected that way.) Same pattern
is found in sectors 201-225 (for example), but all numbers are higher.
